DIY Guide to Ridding Your Home of Mice - Pest Control Marlboro NJ

DIY Guide to Ridding Your Home of Mice

Got mice? Don’t panic. Try these at-home steps to rid the property of mice on your own. It’s very important to get rid of all the mice inside your home so they don’t cause expensive damage to your walls and insulation, or leave droppings that can make you sick. Just remember, you’re not alone. Rodent infestations plague one-third of Americans. Here are some helpful tips:

• Clean regularly: Mice only need about three or four grams of food daily to survive, which means they only need a few crumbs and they’re happy. Especially in the kitchen, vacuum your floors regularly, keep food and sugar in air-tight containers, and wipe down counters. Take the garbage out when it’s full, rather than let it sit in your home overnight.
• Eliminate entry points: If you don’t eliminate the point of entry, the mice will just keep coming in. We know how easy it is for mice to get in, though: they can squeeze themselves into spaces as tiny as a quarter of an inch. If you see a hole or crack, stick a pencil in it. If it fits, the mouse does too. Seal cracks in the foundation, walls, pipes and vents with caulking or even steel wool. Just don’t use plastic, rubber or wood because they can chew through these materials. Put weather stripping around your doors and windows.
• Put out traps: But don’t just set one mouse trap; set out a bunch in many different spots. Also, use a combination of trap types, such as wooden traps, bait traps, multiple-capture live traps and glue traps.
• Use the right type of bait: Use whatever treat the mice have been snacking on in your house. Or, perennial rodent favorites include peanut butter, chocolate, bacon, oatmeal, dried fruit or hazelnut spread. Be sure to tie the bait to the trigger with dental floss or fishing line, or even secure the bait using a hot glue gun. Don’t forget to replace the bait every couple of days to maintain its appeal. If food isn’t getting the results you want, try cotton balls, feathers or bits of insulation.
• Position the traps properly: Place them perpendicular to the wall, with the trigger facing your baseboard so the mouse runs right into it as part of his natural progression along the wall. If he runs over it from the opposite direction, the trap can trigger prematurely. And because mice typically don’t go farther than 20 feet from their nests and food sources, you can put the traps wherever you see rodent droppings or evidence of their habitation.
• Take a look outside: Pull weeds, destroy nesting areas and line your foundation with gravel so mice can’t burrow.
• Adopt a cat: Felines enjoy hunting and killing mice, often presenting the homeowners with their “prize.”

If these methods just don’t work, call Cavanaugh’s Professional Termite and Pest Services at one of our three locations: Flanders at 973-584-2552, in Somerville at 908-730-6565, or in Freehold at 800-362-2282

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